Person Page - 61

Wade Michael Willey

• Birth*: Wade was born on 18 Aug 1936 at Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI.
• Death*: Wade died on 29 Jun 1965 at Bay Village, OH, at age 28.
• Burial*: His body was buried in 1965 at Bay Village, OH.

Parents:

Leroy Oliver Coomes

• Birth*: Leroy was born on 19 Dec 1904 at Rock Rapids, IA.
• Marriage*: He married Charlotte Miller 'Chug', daughter of Cortez Elroy Miller and Julia Etta Wolever, on 6 Jul 1928 at Glenwood, MN.
• Death*: Leroy died on 13 May 1967 at Longmont, CO, at age 62.
• Burial*: His body was buried in May 1967 at Longmont, CO.

Helen Virginia Taylor

• Birth*: Helen was born on 23 Sep 1915 at Upland, San Bernardino County, CA.
• Marriage*: She married Elroy Miller, son of Cortez Elroy Miller and Maude Myrtle Hill, on 6 Feb 1935 at Yuma, Yuma County, AZ.

Mark David Boots

• Birth*: Mark was born on 23 Apr 1955 at Long Beach, CA.
• Death*: Mark died on 26 Mar 1977 at Silverado at age 21.
• Burial*: His body was buried in 1977 at Silverado.

Cynthia Dianne Weisner

• Birth*: Cynthia was born on 11 Sep 1949.
• Burial*: Her body was buried in Sep 1962 at Davidson County, NC. Bethesda Church Cemetery.
• Death*: Cynthia died on 23 Sep 1962 at age 13. From Cerebral Palsy.

Katherine Jean Weisner

• Birth*: Katherine was born on 28 Feb 1955.
• Death*: Katherine died on 1 Apr 1958 at age 3. From Cerebral Palsy.
• Burial*: Her body was buried in Apr 1958 at Davidson County, NC. Bethesda Church Cemetery.

Ethel Bowers

• Birth*: Ethel was born say 1901.
• Marriage*: She married Lloyd Stone Murphy, son of Welker Albert Murphy and Effie Belle Stone, 21 Mar., 1942.
• Death*: Ethel died.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.

Ellie Mae Hedrick

• Birth*: Ellie was born on 27 Feb 1906.
• Marriage*: She married Joe Yarborough.
• Burial*: Her body was buried in Dec 1931 at Davidson County, NC. Mt. Carmel Methodist Church Cemetery.
• Death*: Ellie died on 18 Dec 1931 at age 25.

Parents:

Randall Frank

• Birth*: Randall was born.
• Death*: Randall died.

Harrison Leonard Snider 'Leonard'

• Birth*: Harrison was born on 16 Jan 1890.
• Marriage*: He married Jennie Pearl Frank 'Pearl', daughter of Wiley Jefferson Frank and Georgia Anna Morris 'Anna', in 1911.
• Death*: Harrison died on 3 Jan 1949 at age 58. Date Source: Gravestone..
• Burial*: His body was buried in 1949 at Emmons Township, Denton, Davidson County, NC. Denton town cemetery, plot 43, #8..
• Name-Comm: His common name was 'Leonard'.

Parents:

Harold Snider

Murphy's wrecked plane in China. Picture Source: Dave Deatherage.

Crew portrait from the squadron’s cruise book (CruiseBook_Crew12.jpg). Picture Source: Dave Deatherage.

Jun., 1945, War Diary, Page 1. Picture Source: Dave Deatherage.

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• Biography*: Name Source: Gravestone.
  He was in WWII, Navy, Aviation Ordnanceman 3c.
  He is listed on the WWII registry at http://www.wwiimemorial.com/
  
  Note, Source: Dave Deatherage - I’ve attached three files: The June, 1945 war diary of VPB-119 (Harold Snider’s squadron); the summary of the plane crash is on the last two pages see attached JUN1945.pdf. The plane went down on the southeast corner of the Luichow Peninsula, China while on offensive patrol. They flew a Navy PB4Y-2, "Privateer"; the Navy's version of the B-24. Japanese small arms fire scored a lucky hit and broke in the cockpit windshield causing the pilot to loose control and crashing.
  
  Also, the crew that Harold was flying with was crew #12. Within the diary and most documentation, the crew’s were identified with the plane’s commander, in this case, crew #12 was known as Lt. Murphy’s crew. I’ve attached a scan of the crew portrait from the squadron’s cruise book (CruiseBook_Crew12.jpg). Harold is not in the photo because it was taken before the unit deployed to the Philippines.
  
  Harold Snider apparently joined the unit after they had deployed to Clark Field, Luzon in the Philippine Island, he is not listed on the crew manifests of the unit’s initial deployment to the Philippines in February, 1945. It seems that he may have been part of a replacement crew that arrived on the scene some time after March of 1945.
  
  Most of the crew picture taking (official or otherwise) was taken at the beginning of the unit’s history. I do not have any identifiable pictures of Harold Snider.
  
  Finally, I’ve attached a very scratched & grainy photo of the wreckage of the plane (Murphys_Wreck.jpg); the photo was provided to me by crew member, Mel McIntosh who was one of the crash survivors. Mr. McIntosh is alive and well and lives in Ogden, Utah.
  
  Mr. McIntosh told me the story of the plane crash and aftermath and how the 5 survivors were hidden from the Japanese by the Chinese villagers in the are; actually, there were Nationalist Chinese guerillas. Mel said that he and the other survivors hid in the brush for the first night after the crash and were found by the Chinese the next day. He said that Japanese were swarming all over the area and the Chinese moved them around a lot to keep them hidden.
  
  On the survivors’ first night with the Chinese, they were housed and fed in a small village a few miles from the wreck site. Mel said that the Chinese had retrieved Harold Snider’s body and performed an funeral ceremony with the surviving crew; it’s unclear what religion they may have been but the ceremony entailed chanting and the burning of money (as a sacrifice or an offering?). After the ceremony, they buried him nearby.
  
  Of the 7 crew members that died in the crash, 4 were buried in US national cemeteries (Arlington or Honolulu); the Veterans Administration maintains a grave locator database that lists their grave locations and interment dates. All of the VA interments occurred in 1949 so, I assume that Harold’s remains were retrieved at about the same time.
• Birth*: Harold was born on 3 Dec 1925.
• Death*: Harold died on 17 Jun 1945 at age 19. Date Source: Gravestone.
  
  Died in World War II..
• Burial*: His body was buried at Emmons Township, Denton, Davidson County, NC. Denton town cemetery, plot 43, #6.
  Gravestone inscription - "Harold Snider, 3 Dec 1925 - 17 June 1945, Killed in Service"..

Parents:

John Walter Gallimore

• Birth*: John was born on 4 Dec 1887 at Davidson County, NC.
• Marriage*: He married Eula Elizabeth Hedrick, daughter of Brantley Brantly? Monroe Hedrick and Margaret Ellen Frank, on 19 Jul 1908.
• Death*: John died on 24 Jan 1924 at age 36.

Parents:

Zelma Victoria Gallimore

• Birth*: Zelma was born on 17 Nov 1909 at Davidson County, NC.
• Marriage*: She married Samuel Scovil Adams 'Scovil? on 7 Jul 1928 at Davidson County, NC.
• Death*: Zelma died on 1 Jan 1966 at Davidson County, NC, at age 56.
• Burial*: Her body was buried in Jan 1966 at Davidson County, NC.

Parents:

? Leonard

• Death*: ? died on 18 Sep 1945.
• Birth*: ? was born on 18 Sep 1945.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.

Parents:

Vallie Edna Davis

• Birth*: Vallie was born on 26 Jul 1916.
• Death*: Vallie died on 27 Apr 1977 at age 60.
• Burial*: Her body was buried.